8. Drops of God

8. Drops of God
Are they soft and gold?
Are they deep, lush garnet gems?
Are they strawberry?

I can taste heaven -- love, care --
heart of devoted winemakers.

Drops of God is an inspirational manga (Japanese comic) by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto. This lesson in wine, through a great story, has touched people all over the world. In Korea, it lead to a large increase in win drinking, as well as in China and Taiwan. This long running manga has had a TV show as well. And I can honestly say, I was inspired as well; this blog is proof of that.

Besides being a wine primer, this work encourages a love of wine and a personal connection.By the second volume, the main characters are out trying to find excellent French wines at a reasonable price, and they succeeded. The lesson here is taste; even inexpensive wines can be incredible.

But the main lesson learned is simple: wine must be experienced. When a person drinks wine, he/she must allow the wine to speak to them. In the first volume, the lead finds himself drinking and taking notice for the first time. What does he see? Queen. It is a rendition of rock legends Queen in their 70's heyday, circa "Bohemian Rhapsody." As a Queen fan, I was hooked. Mostly, it let me learn what drinking wine is all about. Good wines have more than flavors, they have emotional resonance.

Though I have a hard time just letting myself go -- I have gotten too technical in my poems -- when I do, the wine has new meaning. So far, as this blog is concerned, that is the Malbec post. But as I wait for volume 3 -- released last week to book stores and this week to comic book stores (I like supporting my local businesses), I will have to keep reminding myself to just love and experience the wine.

Kampai!